Carter-Williams held out of practice

Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams dribbles down the court against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/The Wilmington News-Journal, Suchat Pederson ) NO SALES

PHILADELPHIA — The trip from college standout to NBA starter doesn’t feature pebble-free routes. Along the course of an 82-game regular season, even for a guy as conditioned as Michael Carter-Williams, there are bound to be occasional bumps.

Accepting the marathon-like nature of his first season in the league, and knowing the value placed on his development, Carter-Williams was a non-participant in the 76ers’ practice Tuesday at PCOM.

The rookie sat out as a precautionary measure, Carter-Williams and Sixers coach Brett Brown said. Carter-Williams cited a sore left foot as the reason, saying he might have stepped on someone a night earlier during the Sixers’ loss to San Antonio. He took a knock to the same foot in a Nov. 2 win over Chicago, but that required nothing more than a quick look-see on the bench that night before returning to the game.

“I think I just stepped on somebody’s foot,” Carter-Williams said. “It’s not anything serious. I just rested today.”

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Carter-Williams is expected to play for the Sixers (4-4) Wednesday against visiting Houston (5-3).

The Sixers’ starting point guard, Carter-Williams took part in a video session with the team, breaking down tape of Monday’s defeat. As for on-the-court stuff, Carter-Williams held a similar role – watcher.

At the very least, sitting out Brown’s two-and-a-half-hour practice afforded Carter-Williams a chance to catch his breath in what has been a whirlwind start to his pro career.

Carter-Williams, who debuted in the league as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, is averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s gotten heavy doses of playing time, playing no fewer than 32 minutes through the Sixers’ first eight games averaging 36.6 minutes.

Tapping into the league’s advanced-stat monitoring, Carter-Williams has proven to be one of the most active players in the early going of the season. He runs an average of 2.8 miles per game, which ranks second among players who qualify, according to NBA Stats. He’s also one of the fastest, with his average speed on the floor checking in at 4.5 mph.

The likelihood of Carter-Williams maintaining those figures would be bleak unless he cares for his body, even if it means sitting out the occasional practice to tend to a sore foot. Plus, the Sixers’ meeting with Houston is their fourth in a string of seven games in 11 days.

“It’s more precautionary. (Carter-Williams) has got some soreness in his left foot (and we’re) just trying to be smart,” Brown said. “We have a bunch of games in a short period of time. We had a good film session with everybody and he was involved, just not on the court physically.”

Physically, Carter-Williams said he’s adjusting well to the pro ranks. Mentally, he said, has required more work on the part of the Syracuse product, who was the 11th overall pick in last summer’s draft.

“Both have been pretty tough, (but) probably the mental,” he said, as to which aspect has been more difficult. “We took a step back last game, but I’m staying positive and (you) just keep working. I have great veterans with Evan (Turner), Thad (Young) and Spencer (Hawes), and they give me more than enough encouragement. They’re great players and they give great advice.”

Brown indicated that Carter-Williams is a question-asker in the huddle, so he’s active in practices even when he’s not physically participating in them.

“He’s very curious. He’s really inquisitive,” Brown said. “He’s always asking why and how. ‘How did (San Antonio’s) Tony Parker do this?’ or ‘What’s the best way to guard (Washington’s) John Wall?’ He’s always asking really good questions. You’ll notice he likes to come back (to me) in timeouts and just makes sure he understands what I’ve drawn or what I’ve said.”

NOTE: Second-year forward Arnett Moultrie was dribbling a basketball as his teammates took free throws at the conclusion of Tuesday’s practice, the first time Moultrie has been on the floor since before undergoing ankle surgery in late September. Moultrie, who was not seen wearing a walking boot, has said he could return to full capacity in practice possibly around Thanksgiving at the earliest.